School ‘failed to act on an assault claim’

The teacher – whom the JEP has chosen not to name to protect the identity of the alleged victim – is standing trial after denying two charges of common assault for allegedly physically restraining an autistic pupil, wiping saliva on his face and later forcing him to walk by kicking the back of his legs.

At the start of the teacher’s trial on Thursday, the court heard that the four-year-old had been crying and screaming and that the teacher had allegedly picked the boy up and held him, against his will.

An adult witness who was working in the class at the time of the alleged incident told the court yesterday that she had raised concerns with senior officials at the school.

However, she said that initially she felt that her complaints were not taken seriously despite her insisting that the matter be passed on to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, which deals with concerns about child safety.

Get the paper delivered to your door, on mobile, tablet and PC from just 52p a day with JEP Extra

– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –